


Joongie, No

by SannieBubs



Series: Precious Little Moments [19]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Age Play Caregiver Choi Jongho, Age Play Caregiver Choi San, Age Play Caregiver Jeong Yunho, Age Play Caregiver Jung Wooyoung, Age Play Caregiver Kang Yeosang, Age Play Caregiver Song Mingi, Age Play Little Kim Hongjoong, Age Play Little Park Seonghwa, Age Regression/De-Aging, Little Space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26243851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SannieBubs/pseuds/SannieBubs
Summary: Joong's been feeling a bit left out since Hwa come out as a little.What happens when it all comes crashing down during promotions for THANXX?
Series: Precious Little Moments [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1868656
Comments: 14
Kudos: 134





	1. Joongie's Feeling Left Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JoongieMuffin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoongieMuffin/gifts).



> A request from the amazing JoongieMuffin.
> 
> This is going to be a two part series, as I felt like this worked better this way.

Hongjoong’s mad.

It isn’t necessarily Hwa’s fault. Well, it is. But also the fault of the littles’ caregivers. You see, Seonghwa and Hongjoong are both littles. But until recently, Joong was the only little in the house. He loved being taken care of by Seonghwa and his dongsaengs.

It was nerve wracking at first, coming out to the group. He knew he needed to, he had been slipping into baby space a lot more often that he sound have been and after almost knocking a bookshelf down on himself crawling around in his room, he knew he needed help.

All of his bandmates were supportive. They quickly learnt how to take care of baby Joong. It was quite different from babysitting a real baby, Wooyoung had said, but ten times more adorable.

And then, about six months later, Seonghwa dropped the bombshell. He was also a little.

Turns out that a couple months after Joong came out, Seonghwa had started slipping into little space as a stress reliever himself. Little Hwa is older than Joong, about 4 or 5 in little space.

Now they have two littles in the household. Seeing as there are six caregivers in the house, you wouldn’t think that it’s a problem. But from Joong’s point of view, it really was.

The little noticed that his caregivers would keep him and Hwa quite seperate, except for playtime. But even then, Joongie never really hit an age above 3, so it was unlikely that he would be able to play with Hwa.

Hwa didn’t seem to mind. He would play with his cars and planes, things the caregivers got especially for him, with one or more caregivers, while Joongie spent the day curled up on the couch with one, of the caregivers, maybe two if he was lucky.

-

_“Dada play!” Hwa shouted behind Joong, getting Yunho’s attention. The caregiver had been curled up with Joong and Wooyoung on the couch, watching Joong’s favourite TV show. The caregiver laughs, standing up from the couch._

_“Okay baby, what are we playing?” Yunho ignores Joong’s whine at losing one of his cuddle buddies, following Hwa over to the toy chest, which the little was rummaging through. Joong whines a little louder, trying to get his Dada’s attention._

_“Shh, Joong, Dada’s going to play with your brother okay?” Wooyoung pulls Joong back down to the cuddle. Joong’s eyes stay on Yunho and Hwa, and later San and Mingi as well, as they play with Hwa’s planes, running all around the house, making a lot of noise._

-

Joong had his extensive collection of stuffed toys that he cherished, donated by each of the caregivers after fan signs, but suddenly they weren’t just his anymore. Joong had to share with Hwa.

-

_“Hwa needs stuffed toys too, angel.” Yeosang soothes the pouting baby. Joong shakes his head, pouting harder and looking over at Hwa. Hwa is standing with Yunho, the caregiver waiting for Yeosang to get Joong to let Hwa have his toys. “Joong, you have to share. Do you want a timeout?”_

_-_

That was another thing that was happening a lot, the caregivers would threaten Joong with punishments every time he didn’t share with Hwa. Joong would instantly let them do what they wanted after they did, not wanting a repeat of his first timeout.

_-_

_Joong had been sat here for what felt like days. San had put Joong in timeout for fifteen minutes, over an hour ago, after Joong had refused to eat the food put in front of him. San had then joined Jongho in the living room with Hwa and hadn’t come back into the kitchen since._

_Now Joong’s sitting in a dirty nappy, tears drying on his face as he hiccups from crying so hard. Joong was less upset about the time out, more upset about being left alone._

_-_

Hongjoong had a good talk with the offending caregivers later that night, after Wooyoung came home and found him sleeping on the kitchen floor, two hours after San originally put him there. He hadn’t really sorted anything, just made sure that someone was always in the room with him.

Truly, Hongjoong doesn’t know what to do. He knows how much little space does for Seonghwa, the mans been happier and healthier ever since he came out, but it’s starting to deteriorate Hongjoong’s mental health.

He finds himself questioning whether he should even be little, too much to be healthy. He doesn’t want to take away from the other members, and sometimes he feels like a nuisance when in little space.

It’s gotten to the point where he’s started regressing on his own again. The members have questioned why he isn’t regressing, but they all leave the topic alone way too quickly when Hongjoong says he doesn’t feel like it.

Hongjoong doesn’t know what to do. And with the group returning to promotions soon it’s just going to get worse. He really hopes it doesn’t all come crashing down.


	2. Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things finally come to a head and Joong falls into little space backstage.
> 
> What happens when he confesses why he was never little?

The group have just finished recording today’s performance of THANXX, everyone still high on the adrenaline. They love performing for ATINY and even if they weren’t in person right now because of the current world situation, they still love performing.

They had made it back to the dressing room. Usually right now Hongjoong would be congratulating the other members, telling them how well they’d done and maybe correcting any mistakes he’d seen. But right now there was none of that.

-

_Coming off of the stage, Hongjoong could feel his headspace licking at the front of his mind, trying very hard to take over. He didn’t want it too, he needed to be professional, so he desperately tried to keep it at bay. He knew he was quiet, but he couldn’t help it, it was taking too much energy to keep from slipping right now._

-

Yunho decides he needs to ask the leader about it, hoping that he’s okay. The man startles when Yunho taps him on the shoulder, wheeling around, eyes wide and glossy, like he’s distracted.

-

_“You scared me! Don’t do that!” Hongjoong leapt into the air, startled by the hand on his neck._

_“Or what?” Wooyoung taunted, “You’ll be little?”_

_“Maybe!” Hongjoong sighed, rubbing his temples._

_“Oh. Sorry hyung.” Wooyoung raced off, jumping on San’s back. Hongjoong shakes his head after him, he wasn’t close to little space, but he didn’t want to regress regardless._

-

“What’s up, Yunho?” Hongjoong asks, his voice tense and slightly higher than usual. Yunho cocks an eyebrow, confused at his leader’s state.

“I’m just wondering if you’re okay?” Yunho asks, putting a hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder.

-

_“Are you okay, Joongie?” Yunho asks, putting a hand on Joong’s shoulder and stroking his neck softly, “You look a little pale.”_

_“Joongie ‘kay.” Joongie responds, concentrating on the blocks in his hands._

_“Okay darling, but Dada’s right over here if you need anything, okay?” Yunho gestures to where Hwa is sitting on the other side of the room, playing with some cars._

_Joong nods, a frown on his face. He really wants his Dada to stay with him, but he knows that Dada wants to play with Hwa more anyways._

-

Yunho doesn’t expect his leader to dive into his chest, wrapping his arms around the caregiver. Yunho instantly wraps his arms around him, looking around worriedly as the boy start to cry into his chest. Yunho rubs his arm up and down Hongjoong’s back as Yeosang and Jongho look over, startled by the sound of the leader crying.

“Joong, are you little?” Jongho asks in a hushed tone. Joong nods into Yunho’s chest, a louder sob escaping him, grabbing the attention of the rest of the people in the room. As soon as the caregivers realise that everyone is looking, they pull Joong over to one of the seats in the corner of the room, shielding the little from view.

“What’s wrong sweetheart?” Yeosang asks, clearing the tears from one of the little’s eyes with a tissue. Joong shakes his head, too small to talk. The caregivers share a look, as much as they have wanted to see little Joong for a while, they will need to bring him out of headspace in order to take him home.

“Bub, we need you to be big for a little while longer, just until we get home.” Yunho tries consoling the little, but he shakes his head, new tears gracing his face. The caregivers knew it had been a while since Joong had regressed, but with how he was behaving, it seemed like it had taken a greater toll on the leader than they thought.

-

_It was torture, seeing Hwa all happy when little. He wanted desperately to join the little playing on the rug, but he didn’t want to go through the same pattern of disappointment that had plagued him for the last few weeks._

_“Hyung?” Hongjoong was pulled from his fierce jealousy fest by none other than San, “You know you could be little too, right?”_

_Hongjoong shakes his head at his group mate’s suggestion, “I don’t need to be little today, Sannie.”_

_“You may not need to, but you can be.” Hongjoong finds himself unable to return the smile the caregiver offers him._

-

“Joongie don’ wanna be big. Joongie won’ be little if Joongie big again.” Joong confesses. The caregiver look at each other, confused. Joong doesn’t want to be big because… Hongjoong won’t let himself be little?

“What do you mean, darling?” Jongho asks. Joong brings a hand up to wipe his own tears, taking the tissue when Yeosang offers it.

“Big Joongie don’t wanna be little because little Joongie always forgotten by hyungies.” All three caregivers gasp offended at the idea that they forget little Joong. Joong doesn’t give them a chance to respond, instead he continues with;

“Hyungies always forget Joongie when Hwa around.”

It feels like the world goes silent. Every single member of the group heard Joong’s confession and it’s sent them all reeling. Every single member is replaying all of the times that Joong has been little recently, seeing how Joong must have felt with the new little in the house.

“No.”

The silence is broken by Seonghwa, who rushes towards Joong, pushing the caregivers out of the way and kneeling in front of the boy. He takes Joong’s hands and places kisses on them, tears already travelling down his face.

“I’m so so so so sorry. I’m so very sorry that you felt that way, Joong. I didn’t mean for it to turn out that that and I know little Hwa didn’t either. I’m not a little for the attention, I’m not a little because I want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you, Joongie.” Seonghwa apologises, resting his forehead against Joong’s hands in a beg for forgiveness.

“I know, Seonghwa.” Hongjoong consoles, now big, having been shocked out of little space by Seonghwa’s apology.

“That doesn’t change the fact it happened, Hongjoong. I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to feel left out, Hwa didn’t know how to handle you. Hwa didn’t know how to handle the baby and so he avoided it and I wish he didn’t. I should have tried harder, should have tried harder to not be a crap hyung.” Seonghwa’s full on crying now.

“It’s not your fault, Seonghwa-hyung.” Yunho speaks up, everyone’s eyes moving to him. “It’s our fault, we were so excited to have a more playful little in the house we neglected you, Joong-hyung.”

“No you didn’t. You…” Hongjoong tries to speak, but is cut off by San.

“We did.” San looks around at the group, all the caregivers holding the same guilty expression, “There’s no two ways about it. We neglected you Joong. We were so focussed on the newer little that we didn’t see that you were suffering. You should have been able to talk to us, but all the cards were against you.

“We made you share your toys with Hwa when it was clear you didn’t want to, we would play with him, leaving you with one caregiver sometimes. I mean, I completely forgot about you when you were in time out that one time, something I still feel extremely guilty about now. So don’t try and downplay it, say it as it is.

“We neglected you. And we are so very sorry about it.” San finishes. The other caregivers echo the statement, some looking at Hongjoong, some at the floor, all looking extremely guilty.

A sob makes it’s way out of Joong’s throat, “Can we please go home?”

“Of course.” Yunho says, “And when we get home we can have a proper talk about this, because even if we have said sorry, we still need to figure out where to go from here.”

The group moves to get ready to go, the room silent as they all finally get changed out of their stage clothes. As they are leaving, Seonghwa rests his hand on Hongjoong’s arm, making the leader look up at him.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know and I forgive you, Hwa.”

**Author's Note:**

> Oooh!
> 
> The second part to this will be up after my next update, which will be another little Joongie request!!
> 
> Feel free to request something, and if you don't have a request, please comment! I love reading your thoughts on my posts!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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